Internal-combustion engine



J. P. WARD.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. I918.

Patented June 17, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET1.

J. P. WARD INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. I918.

Patented June 17, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 amen/tor Jkvz 7%56 Wax/m7 JOHNYPRICE WARD, OF MCKINNEY,TEXAS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17, 1919.

Application filed April 29, 1918. Serial No. 231,434.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoI-IN PRICE WARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at McKinney, in the county of Collin and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-CombustionEngines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and it relatesmore specifically to a fluid transmission mechanism for rotary internalcombustion engines.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved rotaryinternal combustion engine having all its working parts arrangedcompactly and inclosed in a casing that is formed of few and simpleparts.

Another object is to provide an engine of this character having all ofits working parts easily accessible for cleaning, repair, etc.

Another object is to provide an improved fluid transmission device thatis operated entirely and directly by the rotation of the rotor; and

Another object is to provide an engine of this character which isdurable, thoroughly practical and highly efficient.

Other objects and advantages may become apparent to persons who read thefollowing details of description .in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an engine constructed in accordance withthis invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental sectional view along the same line as Fig. 2, butthe working parts being shown in a different relation to the main bodyor casing; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an improved abutment hereinafterdescribed in detail.

Referring to these drawings in detail in which similar referencecharacters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views,the main body or casing 10, in the present disclosure, comprises threecastings 11, 12 and 13, the casting 12 being secured to the casting 11by any appropriate means, as indicated at 14, and the casting 13 beingsecured to the diametrically opposite side of the casting 11 by similarmeans 14, suitable packing 15 being provided between the elements 11 and12 and between the elements 11 and 13. An inlet 16 and an outlet orexhaust 17 communicate with a rotor-chamber 18, the point of communication being preferably adjacent to and on opposite sides of an' abutment19 which is mounted for reciprocation in a cavity or a chamber 20 in thecasing elements 11 and 13. A sprlng 21 is also positioned in the cavity20 and constantly presses the abutment 19 inward, but allows thisabutment to move outward under the influence of convexed surfaces or camelements 22 which constitute elements of a rotor 23 which is keyed on ashaft 24:, the latter being journaled in the parallel spaced walls ofthe rotor-chamber 11.

A cavity or abutment-seat 25 is formed in the members 11 and 12, and areciprocatory abutment 26 is disposed in the seat 25. A spring 27 isarranged to press the abutment 26 inward, and the rotor 23 presses theabutment 26 outward by means of its convexed surfaces 22. Each of theseconvexed surfaces has one end terminating at the base of a radialshoulder 28 and has its other end terminating at the crest of anotherradial shoulder 28, these radial shoulders, in the present disclosurebeing diametrically opposed. The crest of each radial shoulder iscontiguous to the cylindrical inner surface of the casing elements 11,so that when the rotor turns under the pressure of the products of thecombustion between the abutment 26 and one of the shoulders 28, only asmall quantity of the fluid may pass from the space between the shoulderand abutment, but in order to reduce the escape of the fluid to theminimum, I provide spring pressed packings 29 adjacent to the shoulders28. Within the elements 11 and 12 is formed a cavity or cylindricalcompression chamber 30 having a valve seat 31 and a valve closure 32 atits lower end. The elements 31 and 32 constitute a check-valve whichallows the entrance of the combustion fluid into the chamber 30 from therotorchamber 18 but prevents the return of the fluid directly into thechamber 18 from the chamber 30. The chamber 30 communicates with thechamber or abutment-seat 25 through the medium of a port 33 which isadapted to register with an inlet port 34 in the abutment 26 when thelatter is in its outer position. However, when the abutment 25 is in itsinner position, as shown in Fig. 2, the inlet port 34 is closed by theadjacent surface of the member 11.

The abutment 26 is formed with a fluid transmission chamber 35 and anoutlet port 36, the latter being closed by the adjacent surface of themember 11 when the abutment 26 is in its outer position, butcommunicating with a space between the abutment 26 and the opposingshoulder 28 when this abutment is in its inner position. It will beseen, therefore, that the chamber 35 is adapted to receive fluid fromthe cham ber 30, through the medium of the ports 33 and 34, and totransmit the fluid therefrom to a combustion chamber which constitutesthe space between the abutment 26 and the o posing shoulder 28. Ignitingmeans is indicated at 37.

In order that the transmission of fluid from the chamber 30 to thechamber 35 may be approximately complete, a piston 38 is mounted toreciprocate 1n the chamber 30, and a spring 39 constantly presses thepiston 38 inward or downward. Therefore when the compression of gas inthe chamber 30 has been somewhat relieved by the flow of fluid throughthe port 33, the spring 39 causes the piston 38 to force the remainingfluid from the chamber 30 into the chamber 35.

Appropriate cooling means such as a water jacket indicated at 40 maysurround the rotor-chamber.

In order that the transmission of fluid through the outlet port 36 maybe increased or decreased, I provide a gate 41 having a slot therein,and a screw 43 extends through this slot into the-abutment 26. Byloosening the screw 43 the gate or slide 41 may be moved in eitherdirection and the screw 43 may then be tightened for holding the member41 in its adjusted position.

The operation of this engine is as follows:

Assuming that the rotor is rotating in the direction of the arrow, thecombustible fluid is drawn in through the inlet 16 by means of thesuction of the continually enlarging suction chamber which is indicatedby the numeral 45 in Fig. 2. The suction of the fluid through the inlet16 continues until the approaching shoulder 28 reaches the abutment 19.As soon as the shoulder 28 passes the inlet 16, the suction chamberbecomes a compression chamber, and a new suction chamber is createdbetween the shoulder 28 and the abutment 19. However, the saidcompression chamber is now continually reduced in size, because of theapproach of the shoulder 28 to the abutment 25, and the fluid from thiscompression chamber enters the compression chamber 30 through the valveseat 31 and is trapped therein by means of the valve 32. It will beunderstood that the pressure of the fluid in the chamber 31 will be veryhigh because of the smallness of the chamber 30 as compared with thesize of the compression chamber from which it received the fluid.Shortly after the last said compression chamber becomes extinct byreason of the shoulder 28 reaching the abutment 26, the said shoulderpasses the said abutment, and the latter is forced inward by its spring27, thus moving the port 34 out of communication with the port 33, andmoving the port 36 into communication with the combustion chamberindicated at 46. The ignition takes place shortly after the shoulder 28passes the abutment 25, and, in the meantime, fluid from the chamber 35has flown into the combustion chamber, it being understood that thecombustion chamber 35 was filled with fluid under high pressure whilethe ports 33 and 34 were in communication with one another. The force ofthe combustion between the abutment 26 and shoulder 28 forces the rotorto continue its rotation, and as soon as the combustion chamber 46reaches the exhaust port or outlet 17, the combustion chamber becomesthe 100 exhaust chamber; and this exhaust chamber is so divided by theabutment 19, that the front portion thereof begins a new inlet orsuction chamber, and the foregoing operation is repeated.

From the foregoing disclosure, it will be seen that I have provided arotary internal combustion engine which is fully capable of attainingthe foregoing objects.

Although I have described this embodi- 110 ment of my invention Veryspecifically, it is not intended to limit my invention to these exactdetails but I may make minor changes within the scope of the inventividea disclosed in the foregoing description and fol- 115 lowing claims.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a rotary internal combustion engine; a fluid transmitting devicecomprising a casing having a rotor-chamber, a fluid- 120 compressionchamber, and an abutmentseat; a rotor mounted in said rotor-chamber andoperable to compress fluid in said fluidcompression chamber; an abutmentin said abutment-seat and movable from an inner 125 position to an outerposition, said abutment being formed with afluid-transmitting chamberwhich is in communication with said fluid-compression chamber and out ofcommunication with said rotor-chamber 130 when said abutment is in itsouter position,

said fluid-transmitting chamber being in communication With saidrotor-chamber and out of communlcatlon wlth sald compression I chamberwhen said abutmentis in its inner position, and means to drive thecompressed fluid from said compression chamber into saidfluid-transmitting chamber.

2. In a rotary internal combustion engine; a fluid transmitting devicecomprising a casing having a rotor-chamber, a fluid-compression chamber,and an abutment-seat; a rotor mounted in said rotor-chamber and operableto compress fluid in said fluid-compression chamber; an abutment in saidabutment-seat and movable from an inner position to an outer position,said abutment being formed with a fluid-transmitting chamber which is incommunication with said fluid-compression chamber and out ofcommunication with said rotor-chamber when said abutment is in its outerposition,

fluid-compression chamber; an abutment in said abutment-seat and movablefrom an inner position to an outer position, said abutment being formedwith a fluid-transmitting chamber which is in communication with saidfluid-compression chamber and out of communication with saidrotor-chamber when said abutment is in its outer position, saidfluid-transmitting chamber being in communication with saidrotor-chamber and out of communication with said compression chamberwhen said abutment is in its inner position; means to prevent fluid fromreturning directly into said rotor-chamber from said compressionchamber; and a piston operable in said fluid-compression chamber forforcing fluid therefrom into said transmitting chamber.

4. In a rotary internal combustion engine; a rotor-housing comprising arotorchamber having a cylindrical inner surface, an inlet, an outlet,cavities in said cylindrical surface, and a port connecting one of saidcavities with a second one of the cavities; a rotor in said housing,said rotor provided with shoulders, and convexed surfaces eachterminating at the base of one hit shoulder and at the crest of anothershoulder; an abutment slidable radially in said one of the cavities andprovided with a chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port; anabutment between said inlet and outlet of the rotor-housing; means formoving the first said abutment inward; and means for moving the secondsaid abutment inward, said convexed surfaces being effective to movesaid. abutments outward, the first said port being communicative withsaid inlet port when the latter is in its outer position, said outletport being closed when the first said abutment is in its outer positionand being open toward one of said shoulders when the first said abutmentis in its inner position.

5. In a rotary internal combustion engine'; a rotor-housing comprising arotorchamber having a cylindrical inner surface, an inlet, an outlet,cavities in said cylindrical surface, and a port connecting one of saidcavities with a second one of the cavities; a rotor in said housing,said rotor provided with shoulders, and convexed surfaces eachterminating at the base of one shoulder and at the crest of anothershoulder; an abutment slidable radially in said one of the cavities andprovided with a chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port; anabutment between said inlet and outlet of the rotor-housing; means formoving the first said abutment inward; and means to allow combustiblefluid to enter the second said cavity from the rotor-chamber and toprevent returning of the fluid, said conveXed surfaces being effectiveto move said abutments outward, the first said port being communicativewith said inlet port when the latter is in its outer position, saidoutlet port being closed when the first said abutment is in its outerposition and being open toward one of the said shoulders when the firstsaid abutment is in its inner position.

6. In a rotary internal combustion engine; a rotor-housing comprising arotorchamber having a cylindrical inner surface, an inlet, an outlet,cavities in said cylindrical surface, and a port connecting one of saidcavities with a second one of the cavities; a rotor in said housing,said rotor provided with shoulders, and having convexed surfaces eachterminating at the base of one shoulder and at the crest of anothershoulder; an abutment slidable radially in said one of the cavities andprovided with a chamber having an inlet and an outlet port; an abutmentbetween said inlet and outlet of the rotor-housing; means for moving thefirst said abutment inward; and means in said second one of the cavitiesto force combustible fluid therefrom into said chamber of the first saidabutment, said convexed surfaces being effective to move said abut- -&1,307,282

ments outward, the first said port being In testimony whereof I havehereunto set communicative with said inlet port when my hand in thepresence of two subscribing 10 the latterbis in itis mater I1:0sitifin,fsaid out wltnesses.

let ort ein c ose w en t e rst sai abut inent is its outer position andbe- JOHN PRICE WARD ing open toward one of said shoulders whenWitnesses:

the first said abutment is in its inner posi- P. G. ROGERS,

tion. R. D. ERWIN.

